


i'll be damned if i'm not trying my hardest

by Skyuni123



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1980s, Bad childhoods, F/F, Falling In Love, Homophobia, It's a remake of Whip It, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Language, Road Trips, Roller Derby, Rollerblades & Rollerskates, Summer, get amongst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-23 18:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8338954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyuni123/pseuds/Skyuni123
Summary: She awakes to the feeling of something dripping onto her closed mouth. Something… sweet? - with a hint of salt that she hopes is from her sweat.  Standing over her is someone silhouetted by the sun. She’s blonde, Erin thinks, and holding two ice cream cones. She doesn’t think she’s seen a better sight in the world before.“Hey!” The other girl says quickly, “I’m Holtzmann. You look like you were gonna burn, so I thought I’d come over here. I have this extra ice cream. Do you want one?” The entire passage is said in under ten seconds.Erin blinks slowly. Then blinks again. “Huh?”-In the middle of a sweltering 1980s summer, the Riverdale Holy Rollers gain a new member. But, the love that blossoms between two of their members is not so simple, and has consequences far bigger than they ever expected.(It's 'Whip It', but with actual lesbians)





	1. Summertime

**Author's Note:**

> i'd just like to clarify my use of the word 'dyke'. it's very period-appropriate, and when it is used within the context it is used in, it is supposed to be read as a slur.
> 
> it has been reclaimed in our modern age, but considering the time period of this fic, I thought it'd mention it.

“Turn up the radioooo!” Autograph blares in the background as Erin Gilbert skips on one foot. Sweat drips down the back of her neck and under her tank top, leaving a damp trail in its wake.

 

It’s the hottest day of the summer of ‘85 so far, but fuck it if she’s not going to get some training in. She’s going to become the vice-captain of her roller derby team this year, even if it kills her. The Riverdale Holy Rollers aren’t going to know what hit them.

 

Dropping the jump rope to the ground in a damp pile, she stretches, lunging one leg in front of her and stretching down to the ground. Satisfied with the stretch, she swaps legs.

 

After a few more stretches, she collapses to the ground in a sticky mess. It is hot out here, after all. She’ll just rest her eyes for a few minutes…

 

She awakes to the feeling of something dripping onto her closed mouth. Something… sweet? - with a hint of salt that she hopes is from her sweat. She opens her eyes. Standing over her is someone silhouetted by the sun. She’s blonde, Erin thinks, and holding two ice cream cones. She doesn’t think she’s seen a better sight in the world before.

 

“Hey!” The other girl says quickly, “I’m Holtzmann. You look like you were gonna burn, so I thought I’d come over here. I have this extra ice cream. Do you want one?” The entire passage is said in under ten seconds.

 

Erin blinks slowly. Then blinks again. “Huh?”

 

“You? Sun? Ice cream?” She holds one of the ice cream cones out and shakes it. More droplets fall onto her face. 

 

Erin sits up. “Yes. Thanks. I’m Erin.” She takes the ice cream cone and clambers to her feet. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m kinda… sticky.”

 

“I bet.” The blonde grins. “Training in the heat’s a bitch, right?” 

 

“Huh?”

 

“Training.” Holtzmann gestures towards Erin’s roller skates, placed neatly next to the end of the driveway. “You’re a roller derby gal, I take it?”

 

“How’d you guess?”

 

“Oh, your physique, mainly.” The other girl gives her a glance that is  _ anything  _ but platonic. “The skates helped. And y’know, I’m trained to spot one of us.”

 

Erin stops halfway through a lick of the melting icecream, the blonde’s eyes trained on her movement. “...Um,.. one of us?”

 

“Oh yeah!” Holtzmann bobs on her heels, “I do it too - or, at least I  _ did,  _ until we moved.” She sighs, “Parents, huh? They drag you everywhere. It’s terrible.”

 

“Mhmmm.” Erin agrees, “I guess. I live on my own. Less people telling me what to do.”

 

“You live alone?” She gasps, licking a drop of melted ice cream off her hand. Erin drags her eyes away from the sight. Now is not the time. “How do you… do… everything? How old are you?”

 

“I work two jobs, as a secretary and a waitress.” Erin shrugs. “I’m twenty-four. What about you?” She’d adjusted to her circumstances quickly. The job market wasn’t terrible, but she had been lucky to get the employment she did.

 

“Twenty. And I live at home cause I just finished college and there’s no way I’m paying for my own place.” 

 

“You… finished… college? At twenty?” 

 

“I’m a bit of a genius. You know.” Holtzmann winks, “I was lucky. Y’know?”

 

“Sounds like it.” Erin takes a chance to look at her watch, and swears, “Shit. I’m going to have to take the liberty of cutting this conversation short. I have work soon.” She licks more furiously at the ice cream, which is quickly making its bid for freedom down her arm.

 

“‘Take the liberty’, huh? Fancy words. Where’d you go to college?” Holtzmann asks.

 

“I didn’t.” Erin crouches, muscles burning slightly, to grab her skates. She fishes her house keys out of the toe of one her boots. 

 

“Seriously? Everyone I know went to college.” 

 

“It’s a little bit hard to maintain when you’re barely managing to keep your current lifestyle afloat on two jobs.” Erin doesn’t mean to snap, she really doesn’t, but the words come out harsher than she intends. She turns her back on the other girl and starts traipsing towards her house, a one bedroom affair that she was incredibly lucky to inherit. 

 

“...What about your parents?” Holtzmann asks, trailing behind her.

 

“They kicked me out for being a dyke, so they didn’t really have an input.” Erin says, brusquely, as she unlocks her front door. “It’s a bit hard to help your kids when you actively hate them.”

 

“Oh.” The other woman says quietly, from behind her. She doesn’t sound angry, but then again, it’s always the quietest ones who are the worst. “I really fucked up just now. Can we try this again?”

 

Erin hadn’t expected her to say  _ that.  _ She usually got anger, horror, betrayal. She never got  _ apology.  _ “Bring ice cream again next time and you’ve got a deal.” 

 

“Ya got it.” Holtzmann snaps her fingers and grins. “I’ll leave you to it.”

She runs off down the road.

 

Erin stares after her, shaking her head in disbelief. What on earth?

  
  
  



	2. The Diner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not born in the 80s, fyi.

  
  


Later, she’s at work in the diner that she calls home. It’s cramped, terrible, and very small-town Texas. At least the food is good, or else she’d be out of there like a shot. 

 

“Hey!” She grabs a wayward hand as it makes its way over the counter to lunge at a slice of pie from the plate in front of her. 

 

The hand in question belongs to a young Australian man called Kevin, who spent approximately ninety percent of his life hanging around the diner. She supposed that they could be considered friends. She had learned, over the course of several small interactions over the last year or so, that he had come to America as a surfer. Why he had settled in small-town Texas was anyone’s guess.

 

“You know what I said about the pie?” She warns, dropping his hand back to the countertop.

 

“Don’t take it unless I’ve paid for it?” Kevin bats his eyelashes at her and says, “Just one slice, though? You know you want to.”

 

“Gross.” She shoves him away, “You want something, you pay for it.” 

 

He rolls his eyes. “Fine. Root beer float and some of that pie then.” Kevin withdraws a handful of crumpled notes from his pocket. “How much do I owe ya?”

 

“Couple of bucks and we’ll call it even.”

 

He frowns at her, “Bit steep, don’t you think?”

 

“It’ll make up for the goodness of my heart all the other times.” She says snippily. “Do you want food or not?”

 

“Jus’ pulling your chain, Erin, don’t worry.” He passes her a couple of bills. “Think that guy over there wants your attention, though so I’ll wait. Good luck.”

She eyes the corner table warily. It’s Rowan. Rowan could be politely described as a scumbag. He’s the coach of the rival roller derby team and a total asshole. The stories she’s heard… they could fill an entire book and then some.

 

Gritting her teeth, she makes her way over to the table, pushing past patrons on the way. 

  
“Oh, it’s you.” Rowan eyes her with a snide look. “Get me a slice of the apple pie and a chocolate shake.” 

 

“Two bucks.” She holds her hand out to him, not willing to put up with any of his shit today.

 

“Give it to me for free, sweetcheeks, and I’ll make it worth your while.” He leers at her and although she’s definitely come to expect it, it doesn’t make it any less disgusting. 

 

“Pay your bill, Rowan, or get out.” She glares down at him, her hand firm held out in front of her. “Come on.” 

 

He huffs and shoves a handful of coins at her. “Keep the change.” 

 

Shaking her head, she turns to go back to the counter when she feels a hand grab her ass. Erin swears under her breath and has to viciously remind herself that she’s working and that punching Rowan in the face would likely end her employment. 

 

She shakes him off and heads back to the counter. 

 

“Man, what a dick.” Kevin says, with a look of barely-contained disgust. “He’s the guy that coaches the Ravens right?”

 

“Sometimes I think Rowan only coaches them so he can perve on them.” She sets about fixing Kevin and Rowan’s food, but serves a couple of other customers before she can finish the orders.  

 

“I can take that plate over to Rowan if you like.” Kevin offers sweetly once she had prepared his food. “Save you from his wrath?”

 

She gazes at him for a moment, remembers how lovely he’d been ever since she’d first met him, and thought of the Date that Never Was. Her whole ‘kinda only into girls’ schtick had squarely shut down his advances, and besides, he deserved better. “I better do it. Eat your pie.”

 

“Your funeral.” Kevin murmurs, already halfway through a cherry. “Let me know if you want me to punch him in the face or something though.”

 

“Will do.” She delivers the plate to the table with no other incidents. Rowan seems to be lost in thought - (lost being the operative word, because Erin doubts that he’s ever had a logical thought in his life.) 

Later, when service is nearly over and the place has cleared out a bit, she actually gets time to think. Kevin, bless his soul, has hung around for most of the afternoon, giving her a way to avoid total monotony. 

 

It’s about tenish when she’s abruptly confronted with the blonde girl from earlier in the day. Holtzbert… - Holtzmann is her name.

 

She shakes the dregs of tiredness from her mind and says, with a practised smile, “What can I get you?”

 

Kevin, who is still hanging around (honestly, at this point it’d be more logical for him to actually  _ get  _ a job at the diner) eyes Holtzmann up and down and clearly likes what he sees.  

 

“Erin!” The other woman looks happy to see her, “So this is where you work?”

 

“Yup.” She pops the ‘p’. “One of the places, at least. What can I get you?” There’s not a line behind Holtzmann, but Erin knows from experience how fast the place can fill up. 

 

“Ah, shit, I don’t know.” She seems to notice Kevin’s gaze for the first time. “Down, boy.” Whispering conspiratorially, she says under her breath, “I’m into girls.”

 

Kevin rolls his eyes and huffs, “Isn’t everyone?”

 

She’s ‘into girls’? Never has Erin seen someone been so brazen about it before. Under sodomy laws, same-sex relationships are still illegal in Texas, and many other states besides. It’s not something that people just come out and say.

 

“Ah, I’ll go for a cheeseburger then.” Holtzmann says, fiddling in her pockets for some money.

 

“You’re brave.” Erin comments. “That’s $2.40.”

 

“How’d you mean?” 

 

“Well, you know what they say about cheese and dreams.” She gazes at the other woman thoughtfully, “Surely Ms-University-Educated knows that?” Her dazed sun-struck view of Holtzmann had really not done her any favours, because even here, under the shitty diner lights, the woman looks good enough to eat.

 

Holtzmann laughs, handing over some change, “I’m a chemist, not a biologist. There’s a lot of things I don’t know.”

 

“You’re a chemist and you’re living at home?” Erin gasps, order forgotten. “How the hell don’t you have a job?” 

 

“Oh please, we’re just coming off the back of a recession. There are no chemistry jobs.” 

 

“What about NASA? Graduating at twenty… you could become an astronaut with scores like that.” 

 

“Mmmm, despite how great space is, there’s a lot of things you can’t do up there that you can do here.” Holtzmann says. And winks.

 

She’s going to ignore the wink for another time. Another time. “Um-yeah, anyway, that was $2.40.” 

 

Holtzmann drops a couple of crumpled notes into her palm. They’re sticky for reasons that Erin doesn’t want to think about. 

 

“Anyway…” Kevin says, looking between the two of them, “I’m going to head home. Hit me up if you want to stay over, Erin.” He clambers off of the stool and leaves without another word.

 

“Stay over?” Holtzmann questions, jerking a thumb at the departing Australian. “You two got something going on?”

 

Erin chuckles. “Not hardly. You know where I live and I have no car. He prefers it if I don’t walk home when I finish at twelve. He lives a couple of houses down so I sleep on the couch sometimes.” 

 

“That’s nice of him.”

 

“Yeah.” Erin smoothes the notes out and puts them in the cash register. “He’s nice enough. Surfing champion turned mechanic. Great at cars, but boy, he’s a moron sometimes.”

 

“Heart of gold, but probably couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag?” Holtzmann asks, settling down at one of the stools in front of the counter.

 

“Something like that. I guess he proves that intelligence comes in all forms.”  She takes Holtzmann’s order over to the kitchen.

 

“Actually…” Holtzmann says slowly, when Erin arrives back at the counter. “I can drop you home, if you like. I live nearby and I have a car.” 

 

“College degree  _ and  _ a car?” Erin mock-swoons, “What  _ have  _ I done to deserve this luxurious treatment?”

 

“Shut up.” Holtzmann giggles and nudges her arm gently. “She’s a clunker, but I make her work alright.”

 

“You don’t mind waiting around until twelve?”

 

“Nothin’ else to do.” The blonde shrugs with a toss of her head, “I might commandeer the jukebox though, is that okay with you?”

  
Erin grins back, “You know what, I think we can just make that work.” 


	3. maccas

Service ends with a couple of local lads coming by and hassling her. They’re drunk, it’s eleven-thirty so she’s not completely surprised by their behaviour, but it’s still shit to have to deal with this kinda nonsense on a Thursday. Drunk dudes only tend to come by on Fridays and Saturdays, but maybe there’s a game on or something. 

She locks up the diner, and goes to join Holtzmann, who is sitting on the hood of a beat-up brown Mustang. 

 

“You weren’t kidding about the car.” She says, in lieu of a proper greeting. 

 

“Oh my god, I  _ know.”  _ Holtzmann replies. “I love the freedom and all,  _ and  _ she was free, but I’m made a laughing stock all the time because of her.”

 

“Surely not.” Erin rubs a hand over her forehead. She’s got a headache. Long days do this to her. “Thanks for waiting.”

 

“I’ve nothing else to do.” Holtzmann shrugs, “Unemployed, remember? Like, occasionally I write short articles in the kids section of the paper - ‘ask a scientist’ or whatever, but it’s not a real job.”

 

“Sounds real enough to me.” She says softly, and holds Holtzmann’s gaze. At least the other woman is doing something she  _ enjoys.  _

 

“Yeah.” Holtzmann shrugs again, “I guess. Wanna go?”

 

Erin nods, and they hop into the car. It smells vaguely of mint, and oddly enough, cigarette smoke. She wonders if it’s a remnant left over from the car’s previous owner. 

 

“So… are we going home, or is there somewhere else you wanna head to?” Holtzmann tilts her head and looks at her, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Though I bet you have to be up early for work tomorrow, right?”

 

And yes, Erin does feel sweaty and gross and all kinds of terrible after being at work for hours…

But she’s not going to pass off a chance to hang out with one of the only people who’s made her heart feel light in four years. “You’re newish here. Where do you want to go?”

 

The cheesy grin Holtzmann gives her tells her that she made the right choice. 

Erin feels buoyant. It's nice that she's not lost her ability to feel things, after so many years working in the service industry.

 

“You know that hill? The one with the lookout at the top? I’ve heard rumours that it’s got a pretty nice view of the town.” 

 

_ Yeah, and it’s also the one place where everyone goes to make out _ , Erin thinks, but doesn’t vocalise it. Instead, she says, “Two girls alone in a car together at night? We might get murdered.”

 

“But we might not.” Holtzmann says, and winks. 

 

They drive through town. There’s not much open, it being a Thursday and all, and fluorescent  **CLOSED** shop signs wink at them from windows. The world feels very closed off and far away from inside this car. The beating heart of the city is muffled, but she’s not sure if she minds.

 

“Anywhere we could go for food?” Holtzmann asks, suddenly, interrupting her train of thought. “I’m starving.”

 

“There’s an All-American Burger along the highway. And a McDonalds along there too. They should be open still cause truckers come through there at all hours.” 

Come to think of it, she’s pretty hungry too. She’d swiped some fries at the diner a couple of hours ago, but she wouldn’t mind something more.

 

“Any preference?”

 

Erin snorts, “What, food-wise or in general?”

 

“Shut up. You know what I mean.” 

 

“McDonald’s. It’s closer.” 

 

Holtzmann sighs and looks over at her fondly, “A woman after my own heart. Nice.” 

 

“Keep your eyes on the road.” Erin reminds her. “Idiot.” Has it really only been a few hours? This woman gave her ice cream, is giving her a ride home, and is nicer than most people she’s met in this damn town. She’s gotta be dreaming.

 

They pull up to the McDonald's order window. The employee inside looks about as bored as Erin tends to feel when she’s working in the diner.

“Welcome to McDonald’s, how can I help?” She drones, looking like she’d rather be dead.

Erin can hardly blame her.

 

“Ah, a root beer, a chocolate sundae and a twenty piece McNuggets.” Holtzmann says, after some careful consideration. “What do you want, babe?”

 

Babe? She’s known her about eight hours and she’s getting ‘babe’? Wow. “Uh, chocolate pie and large fries please.” She basically has to put her head in Holtzmann’s lap to be able to see out of the driver’s side window.

 

“Great.” The woman says, although from her tone it sounds anything but. “Drive through to the payment and collection window, yeah.”

 

Holtzmann nudges Erin out of her lap with an arm. “Go on, get off.”

 

Their totals come to five dollars (Holtzmann) and one buck twenty (Erin). Holtzmann fishes a handful of bills out of the glove compartment and hands them to the cashier, who looks about as bored as the other one had. “I’ll pay for both.” She says, “You can pay me back later.”

 

Erin is ready to protest, but she huffs and says, “Alright. I will pay you back though.” She doesn’t like people buying things for her. 

 

“Sure sure.” Holtzmann agrees placidly, taking her change and dumping it back into the glove compartment. She takes the bag of food and hands it to Erin, who holds it on her lap.

 

“To the hill?”

 

Erin nods, suddenly rather excited. Up make-out hill with a pretty girl and free junk food? This was going to be the  _ highlight  _ of her week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm on my period and craving maccas while i write this which is real shitty considering i live in an apartment, it's half 12 in the morning and the closest maccas is four blocks away.  
> rip me lmao
> 
> (hence this chapter, obviously)
> 
> (also, all mcdonald's prices are historically accurate - to 1984 - i found an archival pic which is pretty neat)


	4. the hill

 

“No way!” Erin throws a fry in Holtzmann’s general direction, and the girl, showing incredible speed and agility, catches it in her mouth. “You cannot be serious.” She nearly falls off the hood, but manages to steady herself.

 

“Perfectly.” She reclines back against the hood of the Mustang and gives a long sigh. “You should have seen it. It was  _ incredible.”  _

 

“College sounds like quite the time.”

 

“Oh, you can take it or leave it.” She shrugs. “It was rad some of the time and less so at other points. People always say that college is the highlight of their lives, and all, but I don’t really get it.” 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Holtzmann gives her a considering look. “Why don’t you lie down here with me and then I’ll tell you?”

 

Erin feels herself blush and she really hopes it’s not visible in the moonlight. “Are you flirting with me?”

 

“Maybe.” Holtzmann replies innocently and sticks out her tongue. “But, really, you’re missing the constellations of a lifetime from up here. Totally worth it. Come on.”

 

“Alright.” She huffs, not at all actually offended and lies down next to the other girl. “You better not have any deigns on my virtue.”

 

“If I had any deigns - whatever that means - on your virtue, you’d know.” Holtzmann giggles from beside her and it tickles. 

 

She’s right. The constellations are gorgeous from up here. She can see everything far clearer than she ever could at home. The world seems so much more conquerable from up here. 

 

“You know there’s people up there right now, right?” Holtzmann quietens. “250 miles away, orbiting the earth in a tin can.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Salyut 7.” She stumbles a bit over the non-English word. “The Russians - up in their space station. Politics aside, it’s pretty fucking cool.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so.” In the darkness, Holtzmann’s eyes gleam. “There’s so many things I saw at college - stuff that you wouldn’t believe. In ten years there could be a giant space station up there - one of our own.”

 

“In ten years?” She doubts that things are going to be  _ that  _ good in ten years.

 

She pauses, re-estimates. “Maybe fifteen. But it’s coming. We’re going to become space people soon, just you wait. I saw so many things at college, you wouldn’t believe it.”

 

“I wish I could have seen them.”

 

Holtzmann shifts awkwardly next to her. “I wish you could have too.”

 

They lapse into silence for a few moments. It’s not uncomfortable - with the lights of the sky and the lights of the city below surrounding them, as well as the occasional owl - but it is quiet. 

 

Erin shifts. “I hate to break this up but some sharp part of your car is sticking into my back and ruining the mood.”

 

“It’s called a windscreen wiper, honey, and if you move over closer to me it won’t be sticking into your back.” Holtzmann replies, faux-seductive.

 

Erin would burst out laughing but there’d be a pretty high chance of getting impaled.

She moves over anyway.

 

“You know, I considered being an astronaut when I was younger.” She muses, very conscious that she’s not voiced this sentiment in over a decade.

 

“You did?” Holtzmann’s question isn’t judging - it’s just curious.

 

“Yes. I think most people dreamed of being astronauts as kids though - we grew up around space for heaven’s sake - but it was something that stuck.” She sighs, “But training costs money and you saw the shitstorm that was around Sally Ride - I mean they asked her if she ‘cried when the job got hard’ - because she’s a woman and all… It’s just an impossible dream of mine.” 

 

“You should go for it.” Holtzmann says fiercely, and grabs her hand.

 

_ Oh.  _ If only everyone else she knows had been so receptive. “It’s basically impossible.”

 

“Nothing’s impossible. I became an unemployed chemist, didn’t I? That was an impossible dream of mine.” She punctuates her words with a squeeze of Erin’s hand.

 

“An unemployed chemist is a lofty goal.” 

 

“Don’t I know it.” Holtzmann giggles again. “God, we make such a pair. Impossible life dreams and all that.”

 

It’s only been about eight hours and she feels closer to this girl than she’s ever felt with anyone else in her life. “We really do.”

 

Holtzmann sits up, pulling her with her. “This town doesn’t have to be your ending, Erin.” She points past where the lights of Riverdale end - to where Houston shines in the distance. “There’s something else out there that isn’t this life. I can promise you that.”

 

It’s a nice sentiment and being up on the hill with Holtzmann is an even nicer feeling.

 

It’s a shame that a beaten-up pickup roars up the hill behind them to ruin the mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some notes 
> 
> \- the stuff about salyut is about as accurate as i could make it. not completely sure about the height which they orbited at - but i picked one that was pretty close to where the iss orbits now.
> 
> \- riverdale is not a real town in texas. it WAS but it died out, like a lot of small towns do. just imagine it within seeing distance of houston, alright?
> 
> \- the stuff about sally ride is true too. reporters even asked her if she'd 'ruin her reproductive organs' by being in space. bleh.


	5. Holy Rollers

 

The Riverdale Holy Rollers are a brutal team on the court and even worse off it.

Drunk and with their boyfriends?

She can hardly wait.

 

Erin groans and ducks her head. “I’m an idiot. We shouldn’t have come up here.”

 

“What - why?”

 

“They’re our rival team.  _ And  _ they’re dicks.”

 

Holtzmann smirks, “You’re not going to let a bunch of roller derby girls freak you out, are you?”

 

“It’s not like that.”

 

It’s not the  _ girls. _

 

The pickup pulls up next to them, music blaring loudly, and more people than should even be possible start piling out.

 

“We should go-” Erin just manages to mutter before one of the men spots her and comes rushing over.

 

“Erin! Babydoll, how  _ are  _ you?” The man is blonde, paler than snow, and yet, somehow, rather intimidating. He draws her in for a hug and she tries not to flinch. He reeks of beer.

 

“Get lost, Ghost. We were here first.”

 

“Yes… I bet you were. Who’s this?” He lets her go, thankfully, and she shuffles away.

 

Because he’s eying Holtzmann now and there’s no way in hell that she’s going to let someone who’s only been in town a few days deal with  _ him.  _

 

“None of your business, Ghost.” 

 

“Oh come on…” He slurs, and god, she wishes they’d managed to drive off in time. “Who’s your friend?”

 

“Jill.” Holtzmann sits up and doesn’t offer a hand. “Friend of Erin’s. Who are you then?”

 

“James.” Ghost says. “She calls me Ghost because she’s afraid of me!” He chuckles at that.

 

She doesn’t. She’s not. Ghost is just… an ass.

 

As is the rest of the team, who thankfully aren’t paying them any attention.

 

“Okay.” Holtzmann replies, sounding bored out of her mind. “Cool. Are you going to go now?” 

“You’re just too fri-” Ghost begins, looking annoyed, but he’s abruptly cut off by the wail of a police siren in the distance.

 

The police don’t mind the odd tourist coming up the hill at night, but drinking is strictly prohibited. Erin’s pretty sure that if she’s caught with a bunch of drunk kids, the cops aren’t going to give a damn whether or not she’s actually drinking herself.

 

“Time to go.” She says, and nudges Holtzmann off the hood of the car.

  
  


They make it off the hill just as a police car roars past them. They’re both flushed and giddy by the time Holtzmann manages to pull to the side of the road and park the car.

 

“That was the Holy Rollers? With that much charisma how could you ever lose against them?”

 

“I take it you’re being sarcastic.”

 

“Of course.” Holtzmann nods at her with another wild grin. 

 

“And we don’t lose. Not ever.” 

 

“I bet.” Holtzmann pokes her in the arm. “We nearly got murdered tonight, Erin Gilbert. I’m glad I spent this time getting not-murdered with you.” 

 

Murdered is a  _ bit  _ of an exaggeration but she blushes all the same. “You know I’m mainly here for the ride home,” She teases, “But likewise.”

 

“You’re such a romantic.” Holtzmann says, and suddenly Erin knows that despite the business with the Holy Rollers, everything is going to be alright.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Her meet with the Holy Rollers goes about as bad as it could. Ghost’s girlfriend, Sarah, purposefully smacks her in the back and  _ doesn’t  _ get penalised for it, and Erin goes down hard onto her knee.

 

She’s limping badly when she makes it off the court at the end. To add insult to injury, Rowan (the Holy Roller’s coach) is as much of a creep as usual and doesn’t get called out on it. 

 

She’s feeling pretty awful when she finally wraps her knee and limps out of the dressing room. 

 

It’s really only the arrival of Holtzmann and a couple of others that gets her out of her funk. Holtzmann’s accompanied by a stocky girl with prominent glasses, and a tall girl with a shock of carefully-coiffed black hair. 

 

“Erin!” At least Holtzmann looks happy to see her. “Do you guys always play like that?”

 

“Way to rub it in.” She huffs.

 

“I’m joking.” Holtzmann hugs her. “You guys made the best of a shit situation - but I see what you mean about the Holy Rollers. Assholes.”

 

“Who’re your friends, Holtzmann?” 

 

“Patty.” The girl with the magnificent hair says. Instead of a handshake, she goes in for a punch to the shoulder. “Love that game! You did damn good, girl.”

 

“Oh…” Erin feels rather pleased. “That’s nice of you to say, but I definitely didn’t.”

 

“Sure, sure.” Patty continues. “But my eyes say different!”

 

The girl with the glasses rolls her eyes and shakes Erin’s hand. “I’m Abby. Don’t worry… Patty’s always this  _ exuberant.”  _

 

“Exuberant is rude,  _ Abigail _ .” Patty says. 

 

“How else would you describe yourself then,  _ Patricia _ ?” Abby raises an eyebrow in her direction.

 

“ANYWAY.” Holtzmann interrupts them both before they can really kick off. “Want to go get fries and complain about the meet?”

 

“I can’t think of anything better.” Erin says, and offers her a shy smile in return.

 

-

 

It turns out that Patty and Abby both write for the same paper that Holtzmann does. Patty’s an agony aunt - “I reply to the good, the bad, and the damn stupid!” - and Abby’s an editor for the world news section.

 

It makes Erin feel woefully unqualified, especially when she admits that she works in a fast food joint. 

 

“But-” Holtzmann holds a fry high in the air - almost hitting the car’s roof - and says, “You know how to cook. I do not.”

 

“Yeah, yeah!” Patty adds, laughing. “Once she tried to cook a roast for christmas and it came out so dry that it disintegrated when she took it out of the oven.”

 

“Ovens run at different temperatures!” Holtzmann retorts. “How was I to know?”

 

“You are a  _ chemist.”  _ Abby stresses. “This is something you should have figured out years ago.”

 

“I’m an  _ unemployed  _ chemist.” Holtzmann bites back. “There’s a difference.” 

 

“You had three years more chemistry training than me and at least I didn’t nearly burn down our apartment in our final year of…”

 

Erin sits back in her seat and lets the conversation wash over her. Her knee is throbbing, and the events of the day are still fresh in her mind, but somehow, in the company of new friends and good conversation, it feels  _ alright.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love you all, but this story is over. I couldn't really find a way to finish it and it was really just dragging on me. sorry!

**Author's Note:**

> come hang out at my [gb blog](http://pansexualjillianholtzmann.tumblr.com)  
> or my [normal blog](http://villainousfilmmaker.tumblr.com)  
> or my [twitter](http://twitter.com/skyuni123)


End file.
